A manufacturer's coupon is typically applied to the price of a product only after all other discounts have been applied to it, or "net of discounts." For example, a coupon offers 20% off the $100 retail price of a product, net of discounts. Other applicable discounts are a 10% Christmas discount and a 5% volume discount. Thus, the other two discounts are applied first to arrive at an $85 price for the product, after which the 20% coupon offer is applied, resulting in a $17 discount related to the coupon. This approach reduces the value of the coupon, costing the manufacturer less money in lost sales.

The amount that a supplier indicates on its invoice as payable if an early payment discount or other type of discount is taken. For example, an invoice might contain a $500 total amount payable, which is reduced to $480 net of an early payment discount, if the customer pays within ten days of the invoice date. The terminology used by the supplier might be a percentage discount from the full amount of the invoice, or it may be the actual dollar amount payable if the discount is taken.

Thus, the first definition of the term is more likely to apply to a consumer, while the latter situation is more likely to apply to a business transaction.